Lint trap for clothes dryers



Dec. 23, 1958 E. F. WOODLAND LINT TRAP FOR CLOTHES DRYERS Filed Feb. 4, 1957 FIG. I

INVENTOR. fou czra F VVood 71/71 FIG. 2

' ATTORNEY LINT TRAP FOR CLOTHES DRYERS I Edward F. Woodland, Youngstown, Ohio Application February 4, 1957, Serial No. 638,150

5 Claims. or. 261-121) This invention relates to a lint trap and more particularly to a construction which may be attached to a domestic clothes dryer to receive and trap lint and moisture discharged therefrom.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a lint and moisture trap for attachment to a clothes dryer.

A further object of the invention is the provision of .a lint and moisture trap that incorporates a readily removable lint and moisture vessel. 9

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a lint trap construction that may be mounted in a small space adjacent a clothes dryer.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a lint and moisture trap for a clothes dryer that will effectively separate lint and moisture from warm, moist, lint laden air discharged by a clothes dryer and contain said lint and moisture while freeing said air.

The lint and moisture trap disclosed herein comprises a device which is attachable to a clothes dryer such as commonly used in drying articles of wearing apparel and the like under a forced draft of heated air. It is known in the art that such dryers commonly revolve the articles to be dried in a perforated drum through which heated air is directed. The lint from clothing, linens and the like is thereby entrained in the air along with the moisture being removed and is usually discharged into the atmosphere on the exterior of the dryer.

The present invention relates to a device attachable to such dryers so that the lint primarily, and, secondly, the moisture may be removed therefrom before the air is released into the atmosphere. Such an action is particularly desirable when the dryer is vented into the laundry room or other portion of an apartment house or dwelling in which the dryer is located.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention "resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the inven tion.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lint trap for clothes dryers.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

By referring to the drawing and Figure 1 in particular it will be seen that the lint trap for clothes dryers comprises a rectangular housing 10 having an open top and an integral bottom 11. A plurality of legs 1212 support the housing 10 in elevated relation to a supporting surface such as a floor, and the legs 1212 may obviously be adjustably mounted on the housing 10 so that the United States Patent 0 T Patented Dec. 23, 1958 respective heights-of the housing 10 and the clothes dryer may be equalized. v

The housing 10 has an opening 13 in one end thereof adjacent the bottom 11 and a rectangular tank 14 is 17 may be positioned with a portion of its lower end extending partially therein with the lower end 18 of the pipe 17 lying just below thehot water level in the tank. The pipe 17 is provided with an elbow at is uppermost end and the elbow is rotatably engaged on a nipple 19 which is positioned in and extends through an opening 20 in the housing 10 so that a portion of the nipple 19 extends exteriorly of the housing 10 as well as interiorly thereof. A clothes dryer, shown in broken lines and indicated by the letter D, is arranged with a discharge or a vent V adjacent the nipple 19 and may be connected thereto so that the warm moist lint laden air from the dryer discharged through the vent V thereof will be directed into the pipe 17 from which it will travel downwardly into the Water in the tank 14 where the lint and excess moisture will be trapped and the remaining moisture will bubble up in the tank 14 and from which tank 14 it may escape through vents 2l-21 in a top portion 22 which is engaged upon the upper open end of the housing 10.

The vents 21 are screened and at least one of them is formed in a cone shape so that if necessary additional water may be added to the tank 14 from time to time by simply pouring it through the cone-shaped vent 21.

In order that the water level may be maintained at or slightly above the plane of the lower end 18 of the pipe 17, a valved opening 23 is provided at the proper elevation on the end wall 16 of the tank 14 below a handle 24 thereon.

It will thus be seen that when the tank 14 is in the housing 10, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, and the pipe 17 is in vertical position, the device will operate for its intended purpose.

At such time as it is necessary to clean out the lint, the tank 14 may he slid out of the housing 10 whereupon the rear end wall thereof which extends above the lower end of the pipe 17, will engage the pipe 17 and swing it to angular position and permit the tank 14 to be completely removed. This swinging of the pipe will be repeated in reverse when the tank is replaced in the housing. Excess moisture in the tank 14 may be periodically or continuously drained by way of the valve opening 23 which controls the water level in the tank 4, It ill c r to ose ed i he rt at hen the tank 14 is cleaned and replaced, it will be necessary to re-adjust the pipe 17 to vertical position.

It will thus be seen that a simple and efficient lint and moisture trap for a clothes dryer has been disclosed which meets the several objects of the invention,

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. A lint and moisture trap comprising a closed housing of substantial height, a removable liquid tank in the housing, the tank having a height materially less than the inside height of the housing and having an open top, air vent means in a Wall of the housing at an elevation above the tank, inlet means leading into the housing through a wall thereof for conducting lint and moisture into the housing from a source of origin, a conduit in the housing leading downwardly from said inlet means and terminating within and below the top of the tank for immersion iii liquid contained in" the -tankfand means coupling the top end of said conduit with said inlet means rem flinsfimoy me :otth QnQQ r Iat Ye-wthe-tank whereby to facilitate withdrawal of the tank from the 19 284 sk m gi n t nker -m a pf the tenksi h ss st i t a y .he zinvention according to c1airn 1,.wherein said tank includesla wall adapted to vclose a n opening in a l of th e h ousin g through .whichopening the tank is introduced into and Withdrawn .from 1116 housing and a drainage ineans carried by said tank vwall at an elevation gt l east ashigh as the working ;.level;of-the lo wer e nd of said conduit in the tank.

13,1heinvention accordingdoclaim 1 wherein said inlet m eans coinprises a shortnipple having an inner end inq w ez eri i is b ond th insid of t e a j n h sing Wall 'andian' outer. end portionlextending beyond the outer side of said adjacent housing wall and the said coupling means between the top end ofthe conduit and the iinlet lineans being a pivotal coupling with said inner end nq fin of h nipp 4. The nvention according to claim 3, wherein the .pivot axisof said coupling extends perpendicularly to the line. of movement of the tank'in the withdrawal and replacementlof the tank. I

5. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a wall opening and said tank is located in withdraw n therefrom through said wall "openingme said inlet means comprising a short nipple secured in an opening in and supported by a wall of the housing and having an end portion extending inwardly beyond the inside of the supporting wall in a direction substantially perpendicular to the line of movement of the tank in the operation of introducing the tank into and removing it from the housing, said conduit,havingashort right angularly extending elbowat its top end, andthe said coupling means between the top end of the conduit and the inlet means consisting of *aslipcouplinghetween the end of said elbow and the said end portion of the nipple whereby the conduit is supported by the nipple for swinging movement about the axis of the nipple.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED ST TES .PAIENTS 24 4;630 Legate 1u1y 19,1881 980,977 Little Jan. 110, 19131 r 1,914,681 Cartrnell :lunelO, .1933 .,2,077,572 Lofgren .Apr. ,20, 1 ,937 2,250,226 Iuelson July 22, 1941 2,384,414 Antrim Sept. 4,.1Q4'5 FORELGN PATENTS 24,251 Great Britain -Nov,. 22,.1905 5 14 10 

